The present invention relates to ballasted mounting apparatus and systems for supporting a photovoltaic (solar panel) array at an optimal position to harvest solar energy from incident solar radiation, and more particularly relates to a ballasted mounting apparatus having advantages of mechanically simple components that are few in number and intuitive to assemble, low in cost to install, and low in cost of materials, yet are robust, highly adjustable, sufficiently rugged for use in difficult environments, and very flexible and well adapted for use in different environments with minimal site preparation.
Solar systems are often installed on uneven or unfriendly terrain where leveling the ground surface may be prevented by environmental constraints (e.g. a capped landfill or a contaminated EPA-remediation site), rapidly varying gradients, rocky subsurface conditions, seasonally unstable terrain (e.g. permafrost or sand/peat bogs), or require excessive costs of moving earth. Conventional panel mounting systems (those having no mechanism for tilting and locking a supported solar array) have gained acceptance in solar contracting where site preparation can level the terrain. However, known conventional solar mounting systems do not accommodate irregularities in the terrain very well, such that site preparation must level the site. It is problematic that known conventional solar mounting systems do not, within themselves, include an ability to adjustably level solar panels to an overall system level and panel angle. It is problematic that most known conventional solar mounting systems require penetration of the earth and/or a foundation for anchoring the system.
Further, known conventional solar mounting systems require considerable installation time, effort, and cost at the installation site. This is at least partially because they generally lack portability, and lack an ability to substantially preassemble units at a staging site and move the preassembled units to an installation site. It is also related to a complexity and need for customization of components and lack of adaptability/flexibility in the known conventional mounting systems. Notably, known conventional solar mounting systems tend to be massive, expensive, and capital intensive, with materials and installation costs for the mounting system often adding up to a substantial percentage of the overall solar system expense.